Cathy McAlister, NBCT

Cathy McAlister is a National Board Certified Teacher who taught elementary school for 19 years. She is now an instructional coach at Hendron/Lone Oak Elementary in Paducah, Kentucky. She also serves as a National Board Candidate mentor, mom, and blogger for the Kentucky Network to Transform Teaching.

By now, National Board candidates have read the Standards – their copies full of highlights and sticky notes. They’ve created their word documents and chosen their students (maybe). Now they sit with a blank computer screen staring at them. It all felt so much easier before Christmas when “after the holidays” was far off and full of promise. Now, many are stuck between “I can do this,” and “What was I thinking?’ As the, “Sign your name here and make your payment,” deadline approaches for candidates, many are wondering if they are up to the task. Some candidates have set…